


A Thoughtful Gift

by scarecrowstories



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Anxiety, F/M, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Siblings, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22228318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarecrowstories/pseuds/scarecrowstories
Summary: Written for the Candlenights gift exchange! Barry stresses out about what to get Lup for the holidays now that they're officially a couple. It has to be perfect!
Relationships: Barry Bluejeans/Lup
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	A Thoughtful Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tumblr user burnsidesbian, who said they like Barry and pining and, well, what better combo for that then some fluffy holidays cuteness? Enjoy!!

He'd been agonizing about the decision for weeks, going back and forth between several ideas before he finally decided. "I dunno, do you really think she'll like it?"

A scoff. "Uhh, duh? I'm her brother? Would I lie to you?"

"Yes. You absolutely would." Barry sighed in frustration, pushing his glasses back up from where they'd started to slip. A nervous habit. "Look, you don't need to help me pick it out or anything, but I just wanna make sure it's not something she'll totally hate." Because that would be a disaster and I'd never forgive myself, he wanted to add.

Taako could barely contain his grin. "Listen, as much as I just LOVE messing with you all, this is Lup we're talking about. If I made up some bogus gift idea and told you to get it for her, she would figure that shit out, like, immediately. And as hilarious as that would be, I think it'd pass the point of goofs and actually piss her off. Not worth the cheap laugh, my man."

He hadn't thought of it that way. It put his anxious heart at ease to hear Taako put it so plainly, and he knew deep down that it was the truth. He felt silly asking him about what to get Lup for Candlenights in the first place with how long they'd known each other, but he needed this year to be special. This would be their first Candlenights as a couple, and he couldn't risk messing it up! It had to be perfect! 

And what could he possibly get for the woman who meant everything in the world to him? Especially after so many years of trying to get presents which showed that he cared without totally giving away how badly he'd been pining for her. He spent so long trying NOT to seem desperately in love with her that now he was afraid of failing at the opposite. She needed to look at this present and immediately know how much he loved her.

Taking a deep breath, he stood from the table and exhaled slowly. "Okay. I think I'm gonna head out and see what I can find, and uhh, I guess hope for the best?" He chuckled nervously, head spinning from the pressure of it all. "Thanks, by the way."

Taako waved a hand dismissively, looking away. The brim of his hat obscured his face enough that Barry couldn't see for sure at this angle, but he thought he saw Taako smirking. "Yeah, you got it, man. I know you love her and stuff, so yeah. It's whatever."

He may have sounded insincere, but Barry knew it was a ruse; the more dismissive Taako was, the more he secretly cared. And there was nobody he cared about more than Lup - something the two of them had in common. 

It was still nerve-wracking shopping for Lup as his girlfriend instead of as his crewmate. There was less pressure with everyone else's Candlenights gifts; if they didn't like it, they'd smile and pretend and say thanks, and quietly toss it away some time later. Maybe he'd notice, and maybe he wouldn't, but if he did, he would probably only be bothered by it for a day or two at how he'd failed to please his friend. And then he'd get over it. But with Lup? It would be absolutely devastating if she hated a gift that he'd put so much thought into.

Asking Taako felt like cheating in a way, but he didn't feel like he had much choice. He had to run the idea by Someone! And who better? Taako was probably his best friend, all things considered. Besides, there was nobody who knew Lup better, or who was so invested in making her happy. Taako had a point: it wouldn't be worth the quick laugh he'd get out of deliberately misleading Barry. That, at least, set his nerves at ease.

As he hurried along the street to the shop he had in mind, he reminded himself that at the end of the day, it had still been his idea. If she liked it, the credit was still to him for thinking of it. So what if he'd made sure with Taako that it wasn't completely stupid first? That was just good planning and a healthy dose of caution, but certainly not cheating. And besides, gift giving wasn't a competition, so there wasn't really any "winning" or "losing" in the first place, right? Right.

The bell above the door rang as he entered, alerting the dwarven shop attendant who approached him with enthusiasm. "Welcome, my good sir! How may I help you?"

Wringing his hands together nervously, Barry said, "I'm looking to buy a violin." He hoped that those existed on this plane. Lup had been missing hers all year since it got left behind at the end of the last cycle. Though they wouldn't be able to get a piano, surely, it would still be meaningful to gift her half of the music that finally brought them together. Maybe once everything was over and they settled down into something resembling a normal life he could find a piano for himself. It was a nice goal to have.

The shopkeeper nodded and waved him over towards a wall where a variety of string instruments were hung. "Let me know if you have any questions! These are what we have in stock, but if you need something special ordered we can certainly make that happen!"

Barry muttered his thanks and started inspecting the various instruments. None of them looked quite right, he noted with a sinking heart; this likely meant that the word "violin" referred to a different instrument after all, just as he'd feared. There was never a guarantee that these concepts would translate exactly the same between planes. Some were too long and narrow, others had different numbers of strings, others still were a different shape entirely. 

Maybe if he drew one for the shopkeeper he could find out if there was a different word for them here? It was worth a shot.

"I hate to be a bother but none of these are what I'm looking for." He pulled a piece of paper and a pen from his coat pocket and sketched an approximation of what he understood to be a violin. It was terrible, but he hoped it would get the job done. "I'm looking for something more like this. Is that anything?"

"Ah, of course!" the shopkeeper laughed and tapped the drawing. "This here's what we call an elven fiddle! Easy mistake. Don't get folks asking for those often in these parts! Let me see if there's one in the back."

As the man rummaged in the back room for the instrument, Barry stood fidgeting at the front counter. He hoped this wouldn't be in vain. What if she didn't like it? What if it just reminded her of how they failed to save that world? What if she wasn't interested in playing anymore, now that they'd moved on? She said she missed it, but did she miss playing, or did she miss the Conservatory? Was there even a difference?

A few minutes later the man emerged with a single violin, gingerly laying it on the counter for Barry to inspect. He breathed a sigh of relief that it, at least, did appear to be the correct instrument. Beyond that, it was stunning: the wood was a deep red-brown with a glossy finish, its tuning pegs engraved with small roses that matched the design etched into the sides of its body. 

Thank goodness money wasn't exactly a concern with their habit of having Taako transmute however much they needed, because this looked expensive. When they were at the Legato Conservatory, she'd been using a cheap student model, all scratched and beat to hell from years of bearing the frustrations of beginners. But this one here was a work of art, truly fitting for Lup's level of talent.

After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Barry set down a small sack of coins on the counter. "I'll take it!" No going back now.   
xxxxxxxxxxxx  
How the hell would he wrap it without it being immediately obvious what it was? If he just put the whole thing in a bag, she'd probably figure it out as soon as she picked it up, and he wanted it to be a surprise. Maybe a big box? It was in a case, so if he just padded the box out then it wouldn't get damaged.

But how to wrap that box? Should it look just like everyone else's presents? Or did it have to look special because now it meant more?

"My dude just calm the fuck down and pick any old wrapping paper. This is not a step to get so worked up about." Taako passed Barry a roll of brightly colored paper covered in glitter. "She's already gonna be furious that I'm nesting hers inside like four boxes."

"I thought we were trying to avoid pissing her off," Barry commented, taking the tube from Taako's hand and reaching for the scissors.

"Hmm, no, we're avoiding You pissing her off. But me?" He laughed as he put the small wrapped box inside a slightly larger box and began to completely plaster it in thick tape. "It's practically a requirement."

Barry rolled his eyes and finished wrapping the box. It looked so much larger, so gaudy. What if she got her hopes up for something bigger than the relatively small instrument inside? What if she was expecting more? What if, despite all his efforts, she was disappointed?

"Gods, will you just chill?" Taako chastised, bapping Barry with a cardboard tube that once held a different wrapping paper. "I'm gonna go bring these to the common room." And with that, Taako gathered the few wrapped parcels in his arms and left Barry alone in the room.

All he had to do was finish taping down the wrapping paper and put the gift tag on, and then he could join the others for their Candlenights celebration. 

Easy, right?  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
The entire time their family sat around the Candlenights bush opening presents, Barry kept glancing at Lup to see if she was opening his yet. So far everybody was enjoying what they'd all been gifted, which was promising, but hers mattered the most to him, of course.

When finally she lifted the box, she grinned. "Oh boy, someone went all-out, huh?" she said, peeking at the gift tag with a softening expression. "Barry," she started, looking over to him fondly. "What did you do?"

Barry shrugged. "My best?"

That made her laugh. "Of course." As she ripped the bright paper off of the box, time seemed to slow down. When she opened the box and lifted the card set neatly atop the violin case, her eyes teared up with what Barry hoped was happiness. A quiet "Oh," left her lips as she picked up the case in one hand while flipping open the card with the other. The more she read it, the more her hands trembled.

"Do you like it?" Barry asked, hoping he didn't sound half as terrified as he felt.

Lup looked up at him, a few tears slipping down her cheeks as she nodded wordlessly. She dropped the card and clicked open the case, cradling the instrument in her hands like it was made of precious gold. "This is fucking beautiful," she breathed, running a finger along the etching on the side.

Their family were still chattering amongst themselves around them, but Barry wasn't paying any attention. His eyes were fixed on how carefully Lup touched the violin, how her smile wobbled a little as she began to cry. He wanted to reach out and embrace her, but he held himself back; better not to draw attention to her tears.

The reverent way she lifted the violin reminded Barry of all the reasons he'd fallen in love with her. How she could be so gentle, how she held such a deep appreciation for beauty, how sentimental she was. She wore her emotions plain on her face, the kind of genuine nature that he admired. Even still, there was a guardedness to her movements, like she was hesitant to accept that she was allowed to show her happiness in this moment.

A moment later, she set the present aside and launched herself at him, throwing her arms around him as she squashed their bodies together. He reflexively hugged her back, distantly wondering whether it had been a mistake to get her something that made her so emotional.

"I love you so much, you big nerd," she muttered into his hair, voice unsteady.

"You're welcome," he answered, petting her back. He was acutely aware of how their family had stopped talking, and now all eyes were on them. "I'm glad you like it. I've really missed hearing you play."

Lup pulled back and laughed, wiping away a tear as she sniffled. "And I've really missed playing! Really, though, Bar, I can't thank you enough. Now I feel like my gift is really crappy. Just, like, in comparison. It's a pretty great gift, don't get me wrong, but dang, babe!" She playfully pushed his shoulder. "I'll beat you next year, for sure!"

"Beat?! Lup, Candlenights isn't a contest!"

"Hmm, no wonder I've won every year, then." Another loud sniffle as she picked up the violin again. "I'll admit, though, it's gonna be pretty tough to top this. I mean, I could Probably find a piano but like, where would we put the damn thing? So that's out." She sighed dramatically before flashing a wide grin in his direction. "Ah well, I've got plenty of time to plan for that."

Before Barry could retort, Taako elbowed him and pointedly whispered, "That means she likes it a lot."

"Oh, now don't give it away," Lup answered, rolling her eyes at her brother. She reached for a particular wrapped present and shoved it into Barry's hands. "Here. Your turn. It probably won't make you cry."

"Only probably?" he teased as he assessed the package. It fit into the palm of his hand and felt rather dense. He raised an eyebrow as he tore off the paper and opened the small box to reveal it: an ornament for the Candlenights bush in the shape of jeans. It was even suspended on a small wire hanger. "Lup--"

"Before you say anything, make sure you take a good look at it. All of it," she insisted with a smile.

He turned the ornament in his hands and couldn't suppress a giggle. On the butt of the jeans in the smallest rhinestones he'd ever seen, she'd somehow managed to bedazzle his name and a heart. It was the kind of goofy gift she'd have given him any year, only in the past he might have been embarrassed by it, worrying over what it could be implying. He'd have been anxious that he was reading too much into a simple gesture, probably to the point of hating the gift after a while.

Now, though?

Now he could look at the silly miniature jeans with his name in rhinestones on the butt and laugh, and he could throw an arm around Lup as she laughed too. He could point at the perfect little letters and ask her how she did that and hold it up for their friends to see. 

He could be happy. And wasn't that what Candlenights was all about?

**Author's Note:**

> Hope folks had a pleasant holiday season. Ive been in a bit of a writing Funk since finishing that last big project, which Im immensely unsatisfied with. So Im hoping to yknow.... get over that soon.


End file.
